Monday, February 11, 2013

Valentine Freebie Finishes

Good morning, my stitching friends! And how is February treating you so far? I know you'll all be envious
when I tell you what my husband brought me back from his recent Florida
trip. Why, he so generously gifted me with a lovely, lovely... C-O-L-D!
Yes, after two years of being cold-free, I've been down for the count
for the past five days. Luckily, from what I hear, it is on the mild
side as colds have been going this winter, so I really can't complain.
In the past 17 years, I have used only one sick day from work so I'm
usually quite healthy, thank goodness. I am still hoping that nasty flu
doesn't appear on our doorstep, though! Has anyone remained cold or flu-free this winter? It seems like almost every one of you has come down with one or the other!

I
needed some bright colors after all the white and gray our winter has brought this season so
I've been working on a few cheery little Valentine finishes--and guess
what? All of them are freebies! I am always so grateful to the
talented cross stitch designers out there who share their creativity
with us in the form of freebies, aren't you? It is a wonderful way to
introduce us to their larger designs, too.

When
I first saw this love-letter carrying little bird, I fell in love with
him! He is a freebie designed by the very creative Luli which you can
findright here.
He is part of a larger design of four birds, but you know me and my
love of smalls--I decided to stitch him all by himself. He just looks so
sweet flying his Valentine to someone's true love, doesn't he? This
design is stitched on 40 ct. pearl gray Newcastle with a variety of
overdyeds and is finished with some white satin ruched ribbon and pearly
white pins. I slightly changed the bird's body and then added the three
little red hearts in the front. Every time I look at him, I just want
to say--you are SO cute (well, actually, I do say that!).

When
I showed my husband my little bird carrying the love letter, he asked
if it was for him and I was so surprised! I never dreamed that he would
want anything stitched by me. But then I thought, well, why not? After
all, if I gave him something stitched by me it would be a permanent Valentine rather than just an overly expensive greeting card that would
eventually end up stashed in a drawer somewhere. So I set out to find
the perfect thing and when I saw this little freebie
by Cathy Habermann, I knew it was ideal. It stitched up fairly quickly
and so I decided to embellish the finish and make it even more special.

The
red and white fabric is definitely vintage--at least 40+ years old. If
you wonder how I know that, it's because this is a scrap of fabric that I
had saved from my sewing days in high school. Yes, I had made a top for
myself (probably a peasant-style blouse which was very much "in-style"
back then or it could have been a halter top--remember those anyone?!)
Before you laugh--remember that this was back in the late '60s/early
'70s when everything was about hearts and flowers, peace and love. That's what makes this so special; it was something that was around when I first met my husband at the tender age of 19. I wish you could see (and feel!) the fabric in person because it is covered with red flocked
hearts and flowers--so very cute! I jazzed it up with a bit of black
fabric, brass heart charm, and black handmade cording. Do you think he
will like it?

I've
been asked many times how I come up with the combinations of fabrics
and trims that I use in my little pillows... Well, the first step is to
pull everything from drawers and cupboards in the colors used in a
design and then begin eliminating things. Sometimes a print is too large
or too small or the colors just aren't quite right so they are put
away. Sometimes an idea I had in mind gets totally put aside when I hold
up another fabric or trim and--wow--I know immediately, that that is
the way I now want to go. I found another very quick-to-stitchfreebie
at the Sub Rosa blog and after looking through my piles of fabrics and
trims, I decided that these were the ones I wanted to use...

Rather
than stitching the design all in red as was charted, I added some color
in the form of green leaves and gray birds. I also changed the four
lower hearts to a checkerboard design and eliminated the words "True
Love." The next step involves layering and configuring the fabrics
differently to get a pleasing look. I just place them alongside my
design in different combinations until I find a design that makes me
smile. Would you like to see how this one ended up? Well, here it is--a
bright, cheery spot of mid-winter color...

So,
now I have three quick, new smalls for my bowl of February finishes.
None of them took more than a few hours to stitch and then a couple more
hours to pull together for a finish. I've also been working on a
larger (for me!) piece which I hope to have finished or my next post.

I want to thank two very thoughtful blogging friends for their recent treats. From my dear friend, Lois, came these wonderful birthday gifts. I just love the little blue scissor fob she made for me--it is so beautifully stitched and
finished. And, of course, the delicious chocolate is already
half-eaten. Lois also tucked in a pretty Brightneedle chart called
"Something Blue," some flowery buttons, and a lovely calendar from
Northern Ireland. Judging from the photos in the calendar, I've just
added a new place to my "must-visit" list--the scenery from Northern
Ireland looks spectacular! Thank you, Lois, for extending my birthday a
bit longer and for your very special gifts and friendship...

Birthday gifts from Lois!

And from my sweet friend, Myra,
came this adorable heart-shaped mug mat! I fear that it is much too
pretty to use as a mug-mat, Myra, and I may use it as a candle mat in
front of my February bowl of smalls. Myra's work is just wonderful and
if you haven't visited her blog,
run on over--you're in for a treat. Thanks so very much, my
friend--your gift came on a day when I wasn't feeling my best and it
certainly gave me a nice boost!

Valentine Gift from Myra!

Do
you have any special plans for Valentine's Day? I'll be up in New York
visiting my parents (my first two true loves!), but this time my dear
husband will be making the five-hour drive with me, so that will make it
special. (However, I'm still hoping for a nice box of chocolates from
him--hint, hint!!). Anyway, I wish you all a happy week ahead--my
thoughts are with all of you in the New England area--sure hope your
power returns soon and that you can dig out from all of that snow that
winter storm Nemo dropped on you.

Before I
forget, here is one new honor for my city of Pittsburgh just in time
for Valentine's Day... It was recently chosen by Forbes Magazine as one
of the 10 Unexpectedly Romantic Citiesin
the entire world. Yes, the world--not just the United States!! Who
knew? The link to the article and the list of the other nine cities is here.
Is your city on it, too? Pittsburgh has come a long, long way from its
old steel industry days--it has really blossomed as you can see in this
photo.

The city of Pittsburgh

Thanks so much for visiting
me this week. Oh, one last thing--I noticed that my last post pushed my follower numbers up to
(gulp!!) 1000+!!! Amazing and humbling that so many of you find my
little blog interesting enough to read--truly. I think a giveaway is in
order, don't you? Give me a few weeks to think of what to offer
as I have a very busy two weeks coming up at work. Thank you all again
for your wonderful comments, emails, and most of all--thank you for your
friendships. Bye for now...

Perfect pieces for the most romantic city! Love what you did with Luli's design. Really shows it off nicely. So many times I can't picture what a finish would look like when all I see is a chart. You ought to be a model stitcher for these designers!

Hope all that stitchy goodness works its magic makes that nasty cold go away and crawl under a rock.

Your projects are beautiful as always. How sweet of your husband to want one and I love what you made for him. I enjoy the stories behind your work. How wonderful that you still had a piece of fabric from Home Ec in High School. Congratulations on having 1000+ followers!!BTW, thanks for the links.

Hi Carol, dont worry I feel your pain too. I got hit with an almighty cold/flu after going over a year with none at all. It sure hit me with a vengeance, nasty thing!Love all your pillow finishes as always they make me smile.Hugs dear friend.

Beautiful stitching and finishing. Carol! I love your little bluebird. It is TOO sweet!! And how nice to get a few more birthday gifts. It's nice to spread out the fun, isn't it! : ) Hope you are feeling all better soon!

ooOoo! Carol, the Valentine piece for your husband is gorgeous, great job! I love the little bluebird and was thinking of doing up just one as well, as all of them make a pretty big piece. We like our smalls don't we? ;)What a perfect, perfect Valentine to share with us.

Lovely new finishes Carol! Your finishing on them is so beautiful. Well my town is not on the list but I am not too far from the Berkshires, MA. There are a few on the list that are on my travel wish list including Italy though! Happy Valentine's Day!

Carol, I must say that out of every blog on my list, yours is my all time favorite. I love the description of your projects and the lovely way you finish them into adorable pillows. You have a great eye for color.

I hope you feel better real soon! Thank you for sharing with us, and congratulations on reaching 1000 followers!

Congratulations! For all the inspiration you provide, it's no wonder. All the finishing are wonderful as always but the little lock is my favorite. I take fabric out to view them all too, but I don't put them back. Then I can't find anything.

Such sweet finishes Carol! And the fabrics you used to finish are darling.Here we all got some version of the Cold/Flu. With a kid at school it almost impossible not to get.Happy Valentine's Day to you too!Ana Paula.

What great Feb finishes Carol. The Valentine for your husband is wonderful - and, as you wrote, something that will last...and maybe the topic for an arguement "I love you more!" "No, I love YOU more" - or something like that!

Oh Carol - they are all SO cute your Valentine smalls. You are so talented in selecting wonderful freebies and finishing them to those little treasures!!Hope you feel well soon.All the best for your trip to your parents

Get Well wishes for that rotten cold Carol x Your stitchy freebies are gorgeous and all finished lovely, I'm sure your DH will love the gift you've made for him and YES! definitely some chocolates for all the effort you've made and to make up for his gift of . . . a cold!Enjoy your week and have a good trip xxx

And again your finishing of these little beauties is just outstanding. All the three of them are overflowing of creativity, just wonderful. It's always a delight to see a new post on your blog and to see your latest finishes.

Another great collection! But I'm not so orderly as you when I look for fabrics. I start pulling pieces out and then before I know it, the only thing I've "created" is a disaster area! Shopping for _new_ fabric is so much less work!

Wishing you a speedy recovery Carol, you would not like to be driven to NY feeling poorly!Love all your Valentine ornaments and so beautifully made!! Lovely birthday present's, have a chocolat Valentine;)

Oh my gosh I love your Valentine pieces. I still remember the smell from that heart fabric! I 'm glad you are doing better, have a safe trip to see your parents, I hope all goes well and not to stressful for you. Thank you for the sweet little card at the end of your post, I love those little cards, they bring back such wonderful memories....

Ow my goodness!!What a beautifull pieces!!I love the pattern of the header!!very V-day!!The first pattern I love the very most, the blue birds with the letters, I ownloaded it too.. too beautifull.Next year it will be on my stitch list!!And as always a beautifull finish!!

The second piece for Hubby.. how great .. you done a great job!!Did he love dit, or do he still need to get it??I'm totally in love with that fabric.. how great.. a real cute girlie skirt fabric too.. love it!!and in my favorite colors!!!You will make many more beutifull pieces out of that!!!

The last is also a love piece!!And with 2 fabrics finished off.. wonderfull!!!

Carol, it's fun to read about your creative process as you put together your darling smalls. I love your finishes. I think the bird and its love letter is my favorite. It's always fun to visit with you. Have a great week and be well! Hugs

Hello CarolThank you for the links it is appreciated. Your blog is a cosy place to be after a long day at work and I enjoy reading all your news. I like the explanation of how you decide on finishing your stitching projects which of course are always an inspiration. Enjoy your visit to your parents and keep well

I just love how you picked out the best parts of the valentine letter bird! It's not a wonder hubby wanted it! Makes me all warm inside :) All your smalls are always special! Have a wonderful visit with your parents....stay safe and warm. EEK!hmmmm romantic city! Nothing like a little romance..any time of year.

Such cute valentine finishes. It is no wonder you have all these followers. It is always a treat to find a new post--full of fantastic finishes and so well written. You are a great inspiration to all of us! Beautiful photo of Pittsburg and a top 10 romantic city. Who knew. The reto valentine is just too cool!! Hope you are feeling well again. Have a nice trip.

So sorry to hear your husband gave you a cold :( It seems to be traveling the world and not many can escape it's grasp. Well, what can I say Carol, you have an artist's eye that's for sure!! Your finishes are so unique and everything placed just so. I love how your hubby thought the birdie was for him! How cute!! The heart fabric from high school is so sweet and makes your pillow to him so much more meaningful. Adorable! I love your selection of fabrics and how you place them together. I think I really need to go fabric shopping and find two toned fabrics so I can play match up!! Lovely gifts you received from Lois and Myra! Congrats on 1000 followers! I'm not surprised at all :D

HI there! What a HUGE number of followers! Congrats! Love your finishes, as always. I have been squirreling away old clothing for finishing too! And I have this great idea for jeans! I will do it and post about it hopefully soon! Have a nice Valentines with Hubby and your folks in New York ! So sweet! Hugs!

Oh my goodness Carol, not quite sure where to start! those freebies turned out way too cute and adorable! Thanks for the links and on how you figure out your finishes.Congrats to you on the 1000 followers~Wowza! and to your city as well.We will be celebrating our 26th anniversary on Valentine's Day, so hoping to feel better by then. Been a bit under the weather lately, so not a lot of stitching going on.Happy V Day to you and your honey~have a safe trip!

Wow Carol, 1000 followers! That is amazing. Thank you so much for sharing your method of choosing your ways to finish. I think it might help maybe even old "Just frame it" me! Great picture of your city. It is quite beautiful!! I hope you have a good visit and a very Happy Valentine's Day!!! Oh, and get well !

simply perfect from start to finish and yes he will like it ... and you do the same as me choosing what to go with what .... hope you have a fab valentines dat :)and WOW with the followers , it is because you inspire us to finish as beautifully as you do :) love mouse xxxxxx

So sorry to hear that you have a cold. I hope that it will be over soon. I think that your stitching and finishing are so pretty. You come up with such wonderful combinations. Yea Pittsburgh! She is on my list to visit. Congratulations on 1000 followers too.Whoot!

Even as you show your fabrics laid out....I just can't picture the finish until you show it! I'm so NOT creative like that. That's why you have so many followers, you have such a talent for it. I am just getting over what I thought was a cold...but have been told was the classic flu. It's been almost 3 weeks now. I missed 2 patient days of work and more "non" pt days. I've been at my job for 30 years and can't remember when I've missed 2 days!!! I'm finally feeling almost normal. Still don't have my taste buds back to normal!LOL

Great finishes Carol and I think your husband will love his. How special it is! I too have been bit by the cold bug. Blah!! I have just enough energy to stitch. LOL! I have too much to do to be down and out. fell better soon and have a safe trip.

Oh noes! Sorry to hear you've been feeling badly lately. :(There really is SO much sickness going around this winter!!(I'm still holding strong and flu-free.........thankfully. Though I don't know that I've ever gotten the flu in my life. Sinusitis? Hay fever? OH YEAH.)

Yay for freebies!!! I always love these little finishes AND the links to download. Save. Save. Save. :) You outdid yourself with the one for your husband. ADORABLE!

I hope you are feeling better from your cold Carol! I feel your pain. I am just getting over the second one. All your valentine's smalls are so cute. I just adore the one you made for DH! The fabric combo and that little lock charm just totally makes it! Cute gifts from Lois and Myra!

I do hope you are feeling better. So far three of my boys have dealt with colds ~ just my oldest and I have avoided it so far (knocking on wood).I love seeing a post from you pop up, as I know my eyes are in for a treat!!! Love your finishes ~ I have to say, I am smitten with the True Love finish ~ love how you combined the fabrics!!You'll have to let us know how your husband likes his gift!

awww hubby is too kind =)I hope you're better now. Indeed it seems that lot's of people have the flue this winter !! it was my turn this last weekend, a big cold, but ow it's OK and I took my needles back =)speaking about needles...you're enchanting our eyes again ! 3 wonderful pieces again, sure your hubby will love his one (they can surprise us ! last year mine asked me for a key ring =D) they are really beautiful, and thanks for the links to the chartsall the gifts you received are lovely and deserved, Myra's mat is so pretty !!1000 followers ! in 10 years maybe I'll have hihihibig big hugsxxx

Beautiful smalls Carol, the finish for hubby is so special and sentimental, he's going to love it. How wonderful he can make the trip with you this time. I hope you have a lovely visit with your parents.I hope you are feeling much better. x

Your posts are always such a delight Carol, I am not surprised at all that you have so many followers. Your finishes are just fabulous. I love that you used just a portion of that bird design - so sweet. Lovely gifts from Lois too! I hope you are feeling better.

Carol, I am honored that you stitched my Love You More design - beautiful finish! We have Pgh in common as well! Grew up there (Penn Hills) but now live in the Heartland! I will post more complimentary designs in the future.Cathy

Hope you were well enough to go up to visit your parents, and that they are doing okay. And also that DH managed the box of chocolates (or more!) How sweet that your husband wanted something stitched from you. I have stitched a few things for mine which he accepts with good grace, and one of them hangs in his office, but mostly I think he is rather bemused by it all.

Thank you so much for the freebie links, and especially for the methods behind your gorgeous finishing. I love the story of your vintage fabric. See - everything comes in handy - we just need to wait awhile (spoken like the packrat I am).

Congratulations on your plethora of followers - your blog gives such pleasure to so many. Can't wait to see what you come up with next!

The finish for your husband is wonderful. I never expected to have anything stitched requested by Lawrence, but I've just finished his third piece :) It's nice to have your hobby appreciated once in awhile!I hope you had a lovely Valentine's Day and that your cold is long gone.Best wishes.

Such beautiful finishes as always! You have such a beautiful way of going about finishing your stitched items. Looks like you also got some nice little surprises in the mail as well! Hope you are feeling better now, take care

Your finishes always make me smile Carol! They're always so cheerful.The Valentine for your husband is stunning and I'll be he was smitten with it.You've received some lovely gifts from some special friends. I hope you enjoyed your special day!

Your Valentine's ornaments are gorgeous Carol.Lovely gifts from your friends too.I don't think I could bear to set a cup on the pretty heart shaped coaster either :)Congratulations on 1,000+ followers!

Welcome!

Welcome ~ I'm so glad you've dropped in for a visit! I love getting to know fellow cross stitchers from around the world, discovering new stitching blogs, and being inspired by your work. I hope you enjoy your visit today and thanks for taking the time to say "hello!"Carol